THE MANCHESTER DERBY : UNITED'S STATEMENT GAME FOR NEXT SEASON

               

                                                 

            The Premier league has had so many interesting matches between two clubs that always turned to be extremely fascinating for the fans all around the world. Some example of such games is the historical games between Liverpool and Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal are just some of the most anticipated matches which the premier League offers seasons after season. The fans look forward to these games because the derby matches are always filled with so much excitement, intensity, drama and most of all, so much goals. But the one reason why Premier League derby matches carries so much importance the match is simply about bragging rights in the city. 

         The Premier League derby has always been about the bragging rights over the city for most of English football club. In the past history when a team like Liverpool FC had already established a five point lead at the top of the Premier League table and needed just a victory against their neighbours Everton to confirm Liverpool as premier League champions but players such as Duncan Ferguson or Tim Cahill would manage to find a way to score goals and send the fans into pure delirium. Great times. Remember when Manchester United were drawn two goals a peice and the match looked to have been headed to a draw until one, recently retired Michael Owen received one amazing pass from Ryan Giggs which allowed Owen to slot the ball past Shay Given the Manchester City goalkeeper and win the game for Manchester United in the dying moments of the game. The Joyful noise that erupted from the stadium on the night was probably heard all around England that night, the celebration that continued all night long in Manchester. Football derbies is a timeless tradition that means so much to football fans around the world and the emphasis on a derby is not just centered around manchester alone, Merseyside derby, Southampton against Portsmouth, Newcastle against Sunderland, Cardiff against Swansea to just name a few, are just some of the derbies that has been historically known to provide some iconic, some bloody and yes, some unforgettable victories that has left has left some extremely entertaining football that last a lifetime in the memory as well as the hearts of the fans everywhere. Derbies are not just another game in the world of football,Derbies are not about Championships, Derbies are about intensity, Derbies are not for the the faint of the heart, rather derbies are for the strong hearted. To summarize, Derbies are simply about dominance. A seasons worth of pure dominance. A club can win a truck load of championships in a season but to a vast majority of football fans, if the club was not able to come out victorious from one derby either at home or away from home, then the championship might lose some meaning to the fans at the course of the season.

             With the importance of football Derbies emphasized, let’s turn our focus on one of the biggest, one of the most popular, most anticipated derbies of modern football today which is the Manchester Derby. Let’s face the facts of season,  fact 1: Manchester United has had a pretty mediocre season thus far and as we reach the concluding part of the season, the red devils will be content on settling for the second place spot in the Premier League and focus on beating Tottenham in the FA Cup to finish up the season and then head into the US Tour which will undoubtedly help Manchester United improve their bond as a team as well as improve their team football for next season before this summer's 2018 Fifa World Cup kicks off. Now don’t get me wrong, even if Manchester United were to successfully win the FA Cup , finish second behind Manchester City in the Premier League and book a place for next Champions League competition, all these achievements might not be enough to convince the fans that this season was a satisfactory season. However, here is what i’m thinking, if Manchester United do eventually end the season retaining the second in the Premier League table which secures Champions League football next season and go on to beat Manchester City in this weekends upcoming huge Derby, then these collection of accomplishments will give the fans a decent amount of relief on how the season has turned out for Manchester United. But the rebuild for next seasons success has to begin this Saturday against our noisy neighbours Manchester City.
                                                    

           All talk and no action has never produced any result for any football club. Earlier this week, Manchester United fans were contemplating on how Manchester United can still make a case for themselves on retaining the position of the best football club in Manchester, England today but the current Premier League and Champions League seems to prove sadly otherwise for the red side of Manchester at the moment.  How can manchester United take down their noisy neighbours Manchester City this Saturday? Here are a few strategies Mourinho can deploy this weekend,
Pace: Manchester City has made fast, attacking football their main priority this season. City breaks through Fernandinho, David Silver and Kevin DE Bruyne. I can not underestimate the importance of this three players and how they influence Manchester City's attacking potency. Aguero, Jesus and Sane have been able to score the high number of goals they have been able to score because Manchester City midfield play such quick, interchanging, football that the opposing team have no choice on focusing all their attention on stopping Silver, Fernandinho and De Bruyne that Aguero, Jesus and Sane have so much space to operate or the situation can flip the other way where Aguero, Jesus and Sane are attracting all the attentions of the oppositions defence creating openings for the Manchester City midfielders to have clear opportunities to score. So what is the solution?:  Stifle Manchester City's Midfield! Manchester United have the advantage in size in the form of Pogba, Matic and Mctominay to limit Manchester City's midfielders. Manchester City are clearly the favourites as far as speed and one two football is concerned but Manchester United can cancel out Manchester City's strategy with ball possession, use of strength and a lot of precision football of their own. But the manchester United can not afford to do is to crawl into their defensive shell and hand Manchester City all the attacking emphases in the game.  

                         

        Second tactic United should exploit is to attack Manchester City through the middle. Pogba and McTomminar are going to be absolutely crucial in the derby on Saturday. Manchester City's attack starts from the middle of the park, then Manchester City spreads the ball to the wingers then return to the strikers. So Pogba, Matic and McTomminar have to limit the amount of times they support Lukaku and rather leave the attacking support to Sanchez and Martial. Manchester United know that Sterlin, Jesus, Silver and Sane play such important role in Manchester City's success.  United fans will definitely not want to see Manchester United leave these Manchester City players unmarked for most part of the game in the weekend. Martial and Sanchez have to track back in other not to allow Sane and Sterling with the addition of Manchester City's wing backs to swam Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia . Consistent tracking back by Manchester United's wingers will be absolutely crucial if Manchester United are to be victorious on Saturday.     

              Finally, play trump cards from the start. Mourinho has always been a manager that cannot be predicted. For some of the past of the games manchester United have played this season, Mourinho has been known to make some bizzare decisions that has cost Manchester United dearly this season. For example during this seasons Champions League knockout game, the portuguese Manager decided to rest Pogba at the start which cost the club dearly.  Listen, for a huge part of the current season, the question aimed at Manchester United after the purchase Alexis Sanchez is where does this leave Anthony Martial? But the bigger question is : Why has this affected Martials spot in the starting IV? Sanchez is a proven Premier League player who operates well as a central attacking midfield or as an second striker which will create space for Martial to play in the left. Either option will allow Lukaku, Sanchez, Martial and Pogba to play in their natural position.
This weekend Mourinho can not afford to make the same mistake against Manchester City . Pogba, Sanchez, Lukaku, Matic, Martial, Mata or Rashford have been in good form this season which should signal a certified start for these players in this must win game in the weekend for Manchester United. Mourinho will have a difficult decision to pick who get the start between Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata on the right. Mourinho has the option of putting Sanchez on the center attacking midfield and playing Mata or Rashford on the right wing. On the other hand, if Mourinho decides to start Juan Mata ahead of Marcus Rashford, then Mourinho will have the second  option of playing Mata in the center attacking position and  Sanchez on the right wing position. Both Sanchez and Mata can operate on both the Right wing or central attacking midfield and either combination will be a positive strategies that will aid Manchester United in earning a victory on Saturday but only if Mourinho starts of with Martial in the starting IV. It’s all about tempo, quality, precision, attentiveness and creativity for the entire 90 minutes in the derby this weekend. Manchester City will come into the game as the favourites but United have the history and reputation of using the underdog status to their advantage. A victory is possible for Manchester United in the weekend but only if Manchester United start off strong, start off with the right combination of players and most importantly, Manchester United have to come out with Anthony Martial in the starting IV.